March 5, 1770 Massachusetts sailor Crispus Attucks is shot to death by British Redcoats, reportedly becoming the first patriot killed in the cause of U.S. […]
Category: This Week in Black History
This Week in Black History
February 29, 1940 Los Angeles actress-activist Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win a coveted Academy Award when she captures Best Supporting Actress […]
This Week in Black History
Feb. 19, 1992 Los Angeles native John Singleton became the first African American to be nominated for a best director Oscar – and, at age […]
This Week in Black History
Feb. 12, 1909 Educator W.E. B. DuBois is one of 60-plus activists who form the NAACP to fight for racial equality for black Americans. As […]
This Week in Black History
Feb. 8, 1986 Stanford student Debi Thomas becomes the first black skater to win the women’s singles of the U.S. National Figure Skating Championship. In […]
This Week in Black History
January 29, 2009 President Barack Obama signs his first bill as president of the United States. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 revised […]
This Week in Black History
January 23, 1977 Alex Haley’s award-winning narrative “Roots” is adapted for television in a landmark mini-series that would explore black people’s forced journey from Africa […]
This Week in Black History
December 26, 1966 Black historian Maulana Ron Karenga introduces Kwanzaa, a non-religious holiday designed to celebrate African and African-American culture. The holiday honors seven core […]
This Week in Black History
December 20, 1956 The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. announces the end of a 381-day bus boycott against the city of Montgomery, Ala., after city […]
This Week in Black History
October 24, 1935 Langston Hughes’ play “Mulatto” opens in New York, becoming the first black-authored play to become a long-running Broadway hit. It holds the […]